


The Substitute

by destielshipper394



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Adorable, Cute, Funny, Gay, Love, M/M, Romance, School, Sweet, teacher
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-14
Updated: 2014-04-14
Packaged: 2018-01-19 10:17:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1465711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/destielshipper394/pseuds/destielshipper394
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an AU storyline, Dean is a gym teacher at a school with an infamous reputation for badly behaved kids. He starts his day as usual, yelling at his class until he's met by a complete stranger who turns out to be a substitute for a teacher away visiting family.  Castiel Novak is a temp who teaches Religious Education and soon learns that the students are mischievous and have ways of driving him crazy he never could have dreamed about. Taking pity on him, Dean invites him out for a beer, which soon turns into a weekend neither of them would have expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Alright kids, BACK TO THE STEPS!" Dean yelled, blowing three sharp blasts of air into his whistle so that it cried shrilly across the field. Within seconds, the soccer-ball had been picked up and the students were running as fast as they could towards the steps where their gym teacher stood. Resting his clenched fists on his hips, Dean Winchester stared sullenly out at his class, his brow furrowed and his lips pursed. He dropped his whistle from his lips so that it fell to dangle from the green rope around his neck and watched the students clamber to fall in line in front of him. He had them well trained. "That wasn't fast enough." He growled, his stern gaze glancing up and down the line of 9th graders who all looked rather scared. "I want each of you to do two laps of this field." A collective groan burst from the group which quickly came to a halt as Dean's eyes widened and his brows raised. "Do I need to make it THREE? What are you all still standing here for?!" With another shriek from his whistle, he pointed to the path that ran around the entirety of the field and watched his class take off towards it. 

Dean had always been a strict teacher. He had no time for slackers or time wasters. If someone in his class couldn't keep up, they soon learned how. He didn't do it out of cruelty or because he liked watching them suffer, it was for their benefit. Everyone needed to be pushed and if he didn't push these kids, no one would. He kept them fit and healthy and although they hated him for it now, they'd appreciate it later when running from the neighbors dog or beating up someone who bullied them. A grin crossed his lips as he imagined the smallest kid from his class beating up a bully - now that would be a sight to see. He made his way over to a small wall that ran up the length of the steps at each end and picked up his coffee flask. Taking a sip, he leaned against the bricks and watched his kids running. They were about half way around their first lap when he heard an unfamiliar gruff voice from behind him.

"Do you always yell at them so loudly?" 

Dean spun around, a frown already set on his face and his lips parting ready to give his usual spiel of how he only pushed them because they needed it, but as his eyes landed on the owner of this husky voice, he paused. There, in front of him, was a man. His hair was dark and tufted, swept up at the front in what appeared to be a natural flick, and his skin was faintly tanned. He wore a white shirt with a blue tie which had twisted at the bottom, as well as a black waist coat and blazer. Over all of this, he wore a long brown over-coat with his hands stuffed into the pockets. There was something else though, something that stood out so vividly that Dean couldn't help but stare. His eyes. They were wildly blue and his piercing stare was almost intimidating. Dean blinked and brought himself back down to Earth with a thump, realizing he was now staring and hadn't answered the question.

"Ah, uh, well..." He awkwardly stuffed his free hand into the pocket of his red running jacket and glanced back to his students who were on their way back. "I push them, 'cause no one else does." He turned back to the stranger and then frowned, suddenly realizing there was a random guy in a trench-coat standing in the middle of the school. "Uh, no offense buddy but, who are you?" 

"Oh," the blue-eyed stranger seemed surprised at himself, stepping forward and holding out one of his hands. "My name's Castiel Novak. I'm the new substitute." He gave a brief smile and Dean caught a glimpse of pearly white teeth and a crinkled nose before it disappeared. 

"Nice to meet you, Mr Novak." Dean shook the guys hand firmly, nodding his head. "I'm Dean Winchester. I teach gym." He grinned proudly and gestured towards his students who were now almost back to the start, already looking worn out. "Hey, HEY! Don't you slow down now, you've still got a lap to go! KNEE'S UP!" He yelled as the first of the students ran past. Some of them had slowed down to get a look at the stranger but were quickly hurried on by Dean's yelling. 

"You're very harsh with them." 

"You have to be, or else they don't listen." Dean frowned at the stragglers who were struggling to keep up, but he let them carry on as they were. He knew which kids pretended to be slow and which kids were just not as fit as the others, so he knew that these were at least doing their best for today. "You'll learn that soon enough. What're you subbing?"

"Religious Studies." Before Castiel had even finished speaking, Dean had begun laughing.

"Oh boy, good luck with that one." He snickered, pretending to wipe a tear of laughter from his eye. 

"I'm not sure what you mean." Castiel frowned and rested his elbow on the wall, leaning against it.

"Well, this school is uh... how shall I put this... full of troubled students. They don't behave well in lessons they find boring." Dean also leaned on the wall, fiddling with his coffee cup. "You'll want to be pretty strict as soon as you get in there, I take it this is your first day?" He was answered by a simple nod and a worried glance. "Don't give them even an inch of room to breathe in the wrong direction. Once they get away with the slightest thing, they assume you're a push over and once they've got their hold on it, they don't let it go." He smirked and turned his gaze back to his students, sipping his coffee. 

"I'm sure I'll be fine. They're just one class." Dean merely grinned to himself and halfheartedly shrugged, shaking his head.

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." 

"It was a pleasure to meet you Mr Winchester, but I should get going. I'm supposed to be meeting with the headmaster to get my schedule for the week before my first class begins." Castiel stood up from the wall and nodded his head a little. "I guess I'll see you around." 

"Yeah, see ya." Dean tilted his head as he watched the new substitute walk away. "Oh, hey!" Castiel stopped and turned, his bright eyes wide with curiosity. "You can call me Dean." 

"Oh..." He smiled briefly as he had before and nodded. "You can call me Castiel." The two teachers nodded to one another again and then parted ways, Dean turning back to his distant students and Castiel walking towards the main building of the school.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time lunch came around, Dean had forgotten all about the strange new substitute and his vivid eyes, a morning of yelling had taken his mind completely off it. Heading to the staff room, he rubbed his hand over his stubbled chin and huffed. He hated the staff room. It was full of nerdy teachers who all taught things like Literature and Algebra. And this school didn't have any hot babe teachers, they were all middle-aged women who dressed like they owned 12 cats and had probably never even kissed a boy. Pushing the door open, he was greeted by several drowsy 'good mornings' to which he didn't bother responding. Instead, he headed straight for the kitchen area where he grabbed his packed lunch from the fridge and then wandered back out to the tables. Sitting in his usual spot in the corner, he lifted his feet up onto the chair beside him, dumped his lunch on the table and leaned back, letting his head fall back against the wall as he shut his eyes. 

"Mind if I join you?" A familiar voice spoke from nearby and Dean's eyes shot open, his gaze landing on the sub he'd met earlier. Only this time, he wasn't quite so... sane-looking. His hair was disheveled as though he'd been running his hands through it all morning, there were dark circles beneath his eyes and his over-coat was missing. His blazer was ruffled, his tie loose and askew and he brought a certain presence to the room that practically screamed 'regret'. 

"Rough morning?" Dean smirked, taking his feet off the chair so Castiel could sit down. 

"You were right..." His eyes held a vacant stare as he sat, as though traumatized. "You were so right..." He fell forwards so that his head landed on the table with a resounding thud that caused the rest of the staff room to look over in curiosity. Castiel didn't even flinch and barely seemed to notice he'd just hit his head so hard it should have knocked him out. "Those kids... they're just so... unruly." 

"They're bastards." Dean nodded, pulling his lunch box closer and prizing the lid off it. "I told you, you gotta be strict with 'em or else they get a hold of you." 

"I know..." Castiel groaned, bringing his hands up to his head where his fingers grasped tufts of hair to tug softly. Clearly this was what he'd been doing all morning that had made it so scruffy. "They tipped up three tables, threw all of my marker pens out of the window and stuffed one poor boy into a shelf then threatened to tell the headmaster I'd touched them inappropriately." Dean couldn't help but snicker, taking a bite out of his PB&J sandwich.

"Well, I gotta hand it to 'em, they're getting creative." He rolled his shoulders and leaned back in his chair again. Castiel slowly lifted his head and peered up with tired eyes.

"That was just the first twenty minutes." Dean stared at him with raised brows, starting to feel sorry for the poor guy. He was just trying to do his job and those kids... well, they'd been their usual selves with the new teacher. Pushing to see the limits of what they could get away with. He probably should have warned him that they'd be testing him, not just misbehaving.

"Cheer up, Cas. They'll calm down after a week or two." Dean smiled and hoped this had at least brought him comfort. Instead, Castiel groaned and wrapped his arms around his head. "Where's your coat, anyway?"

"Huh?" came the muffled mumble from beneath his arms.

"Your coat. You had a big over-coat on this morning."

"Oh..." He lifted his head and sighed, staring out of the window. "It's in one of those trees." 

"A... tree...?" Dean narrowed his eyes and put his sandwich down, turning his gaze to the window. "How did they get it into the tree?"

"I don't even know. One minute it was on the back of my chair, the next, they were pointing and laughing at it while it swung in the breeze." He seemed worn out and broken, and it was only 12:30. 

"Just three more hours, then it'll all be over." Cas smiled at the thought though his face scrunched up in horror as Dean continued with, "Then you get to come back tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

Dean was distracted that afternoon. Something had unsettled him but he wasn't sure what. He'd had the same lunch he usually had, the same breakfast... The kids he were teaching this afternoon were particularly obedient but he never had problems with them so it wasn't anything to do with that. He tried to shrug it off, but something kept eating away at the back of his mind. What was it? Shaking his head, he tried to focus on the dodge ball game he had his class playing. 

"Awh c'mon Parker, you throw like a girl!" Dean yelled across the hall, his voice echoing loudly. He watched as the wimpiest kid in the class threw another ball, seeing it fall to the floor and then slowly roll towards the opposition. Dean sank his face into his hands and huffed as he listened to the ponk ponk ponk of several dodgeballs hitting the poor kid. "You get what you deserve, Parker. Learn to throw like a man." He looked up in time to see the kid scrambling to his feet to run off to the sidelines where the kids who were 'out' now stood. He still found it difficult to concentrate when the game was over and the winning team roared and cheered in victory, he simply patted the shoulder of the nearest kid and blew into his whistle. "Alright, lesson's over. Everybody go home, leave me be, go back to your wives and children." He ushered them all out of the hall and into the changing rooms, then started to tidy away all of the dodgeballs. Glancing at the clock, he saw there was only five minutes until the end of the day bell and sighed in relief. Finally he got to go home. 

Back in the staff room, he opened his locker and threw his whistle inside. He'd already gotten changed out of the red track pants and plain t-shirt he wore into a pair of loose fitting jeans and an AC-DC t-shirt. He grabbed his shoulder bag and leather jacket then turned to leave only to find himself face-to-face with Castiel. 

"Woah," he grunted, stepping back a bit. "Geez, Castiel, you scared the life out of me." Castiel looked even worse than he had earlier. He looked like he'd been dragged through a hedge backwards. Twice. His clothes were crinkled, his tie was gone from around his neck, now dangling from his hand which held it loosely, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone. At least he had his coat back, though it was somewhat dirty. "Someone looks chirpy." Dean teased, a cheeky smirk on his lips.

"I hate being a teacher." Castiel mumbled, reaching past Dean to open his own locker. For the briefest of moments, Dean found himself caught between the substitute and the lockers, his cheek dangerously close to his own. There was a faint smell from him that he couldn't help noticing, but it didn't seem to be cologne or aftershave, he just smelt... good. Maybe he was one of those lucky people who naturally smelt nice. Castiel grabbed a few books, stuffed them into his bag and slammed the locker shut, moving away from Dean and breaking the daze he had drifted into.

"You look like you could use a drink." Dean raised a brow, tilting his head slightly. "Fancy a beer?" 

"I'd love one..." Castiel gave one of his brief smiles as his shoulders slumped down, as though a weight was being lifted from them.

"C'mon, I know the perfect place." Dean chuckled and slipped past Cas to lead the way down the hallway and out into the car park. 

It took them only ten minutes to get to where they were going, Dean driving his sleek black Impala while Cas followed behind in a rather quaint blue Mini Cooper. Of course, Dean had teased him about the car when he first saw it, but Cas had simply laughed and said it was trustworthy. They pulled up outside a block of apartments, Dean getting out first and then a rather confused Castiel getting out second. 

"I thought we were going for a beer?" Cas tilted his head as he locked his car door, puzzled. 

"We are. I said I know the perfect place." Dean nodded and gestured his arms up at the building. "The perfect place." 

"Where are we?" Castiel peered up at the building as he stood beside Dean, still puzzled as to where on Earth they were.

"You'll see." Dean grinned and made his way inside, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Castiel was following, which he was. The two stood in the elevator and Dean pushed the button to the 4th floor, leaning back against the rail along the wall behind him. "So Cas, what beer do you like?" 

"I don't really have a particular, I just drink whatever I'm given." Castiel shrugged, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his overcoat. Dean nodded his head slowly, looking forwards at the door while he waited for their floor. The elevator dinged and Dean lead the way out and down the hallway until they reached a door at the far end. 

"Welcome," he muttered, pushing a key into the lock. "To my humble abode." He swung the door open to reveal the apartment behind. It was surprisingly large and spacious, very stylish with a large window that filled the whole room with light. A dark red sofa was pushed up against the clean white wall to the left with a coffee table in front of it and a large TV which stood proud in the center of the room facing the sofa. To the right, was a kitchen area separated by a half-wall, so that whoever was in the kitchen could still talk to anyone in the living area. Past that, were two doors, one which led to a bathroom, the other a bedroom. The whole place was littered with shelves and cabinets, each with all sorts of sporting trophies on. 

"Wow, very fancy." Cas slipped through the door and looked around, his gaze wandering from trophy to trophy. "You won all these?" 

"Every single one of them." Dean nodded, tossing his coat onto a hanger that stood beside the door. He dropped his bag beside it and then headed to the kitchen. "Alright, we got plenty of beer. You hungry?" He peered over the bar he had built himself on top of the half-wall, waiting for Castiel's response.

"Uh, sure. I haven't eaten since lunch." Castiel pulled off his coat to hook it beside Dean's and wandered over to the bar, resting his elbows on it to lean against it. Dean set a bottle of beer down in front of him, taking a sip of his own and then turned to the fridge to look for something to cook. "So do you live here alone?"

"Pretty much, I've never really been one for roommates. And I have a bit of a track record when it comes to women, to the point where I've pretty much slept with about 80% of the city. The other 20% are either frigid or have already heard about me." He snorted and pulled out a packet of mince from the fridge as well as tomato puree and a block of cheese. He gathered some more ingredients from the cupboards and a large bowl, then started measuring everything out. 

"So no girlfriend?" Cas questioned, trying to keep the tone of his voice casual and sipping his beer.

"Nope."

"...boyfriend?" Dean paused at this. He'd only ever really experimented when he was younger, he'd never actually had a boyfriend.

"...no." He shook his head and carried on with the cooking, mixing his ingredients in the bowl.

"Would you?" Cas continued his bombardment of questions, though still tried to keep it cool and collected. Dean saw right through it of course, he'd had these questions before from girls who wanted to date him. He couldn't help but smirk. If Castiel was asking these questions, it meant he wanted to... Well that was certainly flattering. Before his grin could grow too much and give it away, Dean turned around to grab a frying pan from one of the lower cupboards.

"Uh... maybe. I've never been with a dude properly before but I guess I'd be up for trying something more than the experiments of college." By the time he turned around, he'd calmed himself a bit and was laughing but it seemed Cas was the complete opposite. His face had darkened to a dark red and his eyes were wide. "You okay there?" Dean smirked, setting up the pan ready for frying.

"Y-yeah, why?" 

"No reason." He chuckled to himself and grabbed the bowl from the bar, separating his mixture into four balls which he pressed into patties. Cas could see what he was making now - burgers. Home made were always the best. "What about you? Is there a pretty lady back at home waiting for me to let you leave so you can go back to her?" 

"Ah, no. No ladies for me." Cas fiddled with the bottle in his hands, his face finally cooling back to its healthy tanned colour. 

"A... guy?" Dean glanced over his shoulder as he put the meat patties into the pan, listening to them sizzle. 

"Nope, no guy either. But that one is more of an unable-to-find-a-guy reason." Cas lifted his gaze to meet Dean's, then quickly looked away again. So he was nervous, huh...? Dean grinned again and looked back to his cooking. 

"I see..." He was quiet for a moment until he grabbed some fries from the freezer and dumped them on a tray, putting them in the oven. "So, we're both just two single guys, drinking a beer, having dinner..." Dean could practically feel the heat burning from Castiel's face as he blushed again, watching him carefully as he leaned against the bar on his elbows while they waited for their meal to cook. The bar was only narrow, so with both of them leaning on it, they were fairly close. 

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you purposefully turned this into some kind of date..." Cas muttered quietly, trying to manage a small smile as though he were joking. Now it was Dean's turn to blush as his cheeks flushed a deep crimson, his lips parting as though to argue against this though he couldn't really disagree with that... it did seem to have turned into a sort of date...

"Well, so what if I had?" He took a breath and grinned, glancing over his shoulder to check on the burgers. When he turned back, Castiel had inched closer, their noses now brushing lightly against each other. Dean froze in surprise, breathing in that soothing scent that filled his nostrils from the guy in front of him. They stayed there for a moment, each staring at the other though neither making another move. The apartment was silent apart from the faint sizzling of the burgers in the frying pan and the pounding of their hearts in their ears. Dean was the first to move, sliding backwards to stand up away from the bar. Castiel seemed a little disappointed, but he played it off well. 

"I don't know, I'd be surprised if you had but at the same time, I wouldn't be." He rolled his shoulders and took a sip of his beer. 

"Oh you wouldn't, huh?" Dean raised a brow as he turned away, flipping the burgers and checking on the fries in the oven. He'd timed it pretty well, it looked like they'd both be ready around the same time. He gathered buns from the cupboard as well as sauces and salad from the fridge, setting them up along the bar. Next, he retrieved two plates and set them up on the worktop beside the cooker ready for the food to finish cooking. Once he'd shuffled the pan again, he turned back to the bar though this time he leaned on the palm of his hand.

"I wouldn't. I mean, after all, I am irresistible." He smiled a sweet smile and Dean was captivated. Castiel hadn't really smiled properly until now and Dean instantly took in every detail for fear of not seeing it again for a while. His eyes softened and his nose crinkled in the same way it had earlier, dimples sinking into his cheeks and head tilting to one side. It really was irresistible. And Castiel knew it. Once again, Dean froze until he heard Cas snort with laughter, something that brought him crashing down to Earth again. 

"Hey, you'd better not be laughing at me." Dean frowned, something that made Cas giggle even more. At least he was becoming more comfortable, Castiel was cute when he was blushing and being shy, but Dean liked this Castiel better.

"You're adorable." He chuckled, bringing his beer bottle to his lips though pausing before taking a sip. What he did next caused Dean's face to turn beetroot. Instead of drinking, he hooked his perfect teeth over the rim so that his top lip protruded into a pout, tilting his head just right so that his eyes looked up at Dean with a rather... intense gaze. It was too much. Dean had to turn away and take a breath. Castiel knew how to work with his good-looks to drive him crazy... 

"You're gonna be the death of me, I can tell..." He grunted, poking a fork at the burgers. He split one in half to check the center and nodded to himself. They were ready.


	4. Chapter 4

A few minutes later, they were both sitting at the bar opposite each other with their meals in front of them. Dean had covered his burger in salad, cheese and BBQ sauce but Castiel's was practically swimming in ketchup.

"Do you always drown your food?" Dean teased, taking a bite out of his burger. "You won't be able to taste the burger." 

"I have a thing for ketchup." Cas shrugged, picking up his burger and peering down at it. It smelled divine. Dean sure knew what he was doing when it came to cooking. He took a large bite and chewed slowly, narrowing his eyes as he pretended to be judging the food. Dean played along and his eyes widened while he 'eagerly' awaited the conclusion. "Hmm... it's juicy, tender, full of flavour..." He nodded his head and grinned. "A perfect burger." 

"Oh," Dean set his own burger down and flapped his hand mockingly as though fanning himself. "I'm so glad you approve!" Cas snorted and Dean grinned, picking up his burger again to take another bite.

"You're a very good cook." Castiel took a sip of his beer and peered across the bar, tilting his head curiously. "When and how did you learn to cook like this?" 

"Well," Rolling his shoulders, he tried to think back to when he'd first realized he liked to cook. "My brother, I guess. When we were kids my dad wasn't really around much, so I had to learn how to do it myself to look after Sam. If I didn't, no one would." Cas nodded his head slowly while he took this in, he wanted to know more about him but they were still practically strangers and he didn't want to pry. 

"I can relate to that, sorta. I was in an orphanage growing up, it was the kind of place where if you didn't do it yourself, no one else would." 

"You're an orphan?" Dean frowned slightly. While Cas was polite about prying into other peoples business, Dean was more of an 'I'll ask what I want' kind of guy. 

"Possibly. My folks didn't die, they just abandoned me and the Sisters took me in, raised me 'the Catholic' way." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Load of crap if you ask me." Dean parted his lips in slight shock. If Cas was this cute now, he must have been a Hell of a lot cuter as a kid and who on Earth could abandon a kid as cute as that? Just look at him, he was adorable! Dean found himself staring and only looked away when his gaze was met by those piercing eyes. "So you've got a brother?" Good, a change of subject. Dean wasn't sure he wanted to continue down the road of Castiel's dark past, it didn't seem a positive thing to talk about on a first date. Was this a date? If it was, it was accidental, though he certainly wasn't complaining.

"Yeah, he's a couple years younger than me, but a lot taller... He's like a friggin' giant." Dean frowned to himself, wondering where on Earth Sam had even gotten his height from. Their dad was only as tall as Dean, but Sam was freakishly tall. "He lives with his girlfriend, Meg, just on the other side of town." 

"That's sweet." Cas smiled and leaned back in his chair. He'd finished eating and was now sipping his beer. "Any other siblings?"

"Nah, just Sammy. Well, I got a half-brother somewhere, Adam, but I've only met him once." Dean tried to remember the brief encounter he'd had with this estranged brother, he could barely even picture his face. He'd been blond, right? Or was it dark hair? Not that it mattered, he probably wouldn't recognize him even if he knocked on the door right now. "Folks are both dead, got an Uncle Bobby who runs a garage not far from here, but that's all. No other family, whatsoever." 

"Oh, I'm sorry about your parents." Castiel frowned sympathetically, though something told him his sympathy wasn't really needed. This was confirmed when Dean shrugged.

"Nah, my mom died in a house fire when I was a kid and my dad died a few years ago, but he was an ass mostly anyway. Always drunk, never there for me or Sammy, little on the crazy side, got mad really easily. That kinda guy." Dean was quick to dismiss the subject again and picked up their empty plates, dumping them both in the sink to wash them. "So, feeling better now? You looked pretty stressed out earlier." 

"Yeah, I'm fine." he smiled, running a hand through his hair. "Thanks for dinner, you're a great cook." Cas stood up and looked around, heading over to one of the cabinets, looking at the trophies. There were track race trophies, soccer ball trophies, basketball trophies and a lot of others too. "You sure do a lot of sports!" 

"I like to keep fit, Cas, helps me stay beautiful." Dean lifted his arms in a masculine pose, flexing his muscles to show off. The image was ruined slightly by the fact that he was wearing yellow marigolds. 

"Oh, I can totally see it." Cas grinned, nodding enthusiastically. "So beautiful." Dean smirked and went back to washing up while Cas continued his tour of the room. "I've noticed you call me Cas a lot, rather than Castiel."

"Sorry, does it bother you?" Dean frowned, chastising himself. Of course, he probably should have asked if it was okay before just using it as his name.

"No, no. I kinda like it." 

"Oh, good. Castiel is a pretty unusual name though, where'd that come from?" 

"The Sisters at the orphanage." Cas sat down on the sofa and set his beer down on one of the coasters on the coffee table. "It's the name of an angel or something, I think it's an angel of Thursday? I never really paid attention." Dean finished washing up and left the dishes and the frying pan on the drain to dry. He put away the marigolds, grabbed his beer and followed over to the sofa, sitting down beside Castiel and turning to face him. Cas mirrored his position, turning to face Dean too. "Surprisingly, usually I hate it being shortened to Cas, but you make it sound better." Dean blinked in confusement, raising a brow.

"Cas." He mumbled, testing the word on his tongue. "Cas... Caaassss..." Castiel watched with amusement as Dean pulled strange faces every time he pronounced the shortened version of his name, tilting his head to the side while he waited for him to finish. "Casssss... I like it. You have a good name, Cas." Cas chuckled and shrugged.

"Thanks, you too, Deeeaaaan." Dean smirked and lifted his beer into the air, proposing a toast.

"To good names." Cas lifted his bottle and clinked it against Dean's, nodding in agreement.

"To good names. And to... new friends." He smirked and sipped his beer, though his eyes never left Dean's. There was something about that glance that he gave which made Dean wonder, did he mean something else? New friends... sure, they were new friends and they were getting along extremely well, but that look in his eye... it meant more. He was sure of it.


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of the week went relatively smoothly. Dean's classes were perfectly behaved, Castiel had managed to get to grips with the students and had started being sterner with them, and all in all it was just a good week. By the time Friday came around, Dean was almost sad it was the weekend. He'd been rather enjoying work now that Cas was there, they'd had lunch together every day, swapped stories about the kids in their classes and had gotten to know each other a little better. They hadn't met outside of school other than that first day, but Dean had been working himself up to ask Cas out. Officially. On a proper date. On purpose. By the end of the day on Friday, Dean was itching to leave. He stared at the clock, counting down the seconds until finally, the bell rang.

"RIGHT, everybody pack up, go home." He blew sharply into his whistle and watched the students run to the changing room to get ready to go home. "Finally..." He muttered under his breath, leaving them to see to themselves and heading down to the staff room. It was empty today, as it usually was on Fridays, something Dean was rather grateful for. The other teachers didn't exactly know about his 'bisexuality', and why should they? He'd barely known himself until 5 days ago. He didn't count college anymore. He sat down at one of the tables and waited, staring at the clock once more. Where was he? Usually Castiel was here by now and with it being a Friday, he'd have thought he would be here early. Ten minutes passed and Dean couldn't help but feel disappointed. He must have missed him... Standing up, he made his way to his locker and opened it up to take out his clothes to get changed, but was surprised to find a note had been stuffed through the gaps in the door and was sitting on top of his stuff. 

"What the...?" He frowned, picking it up. No one ever left him notes, barely any of the other teachers spoke to him and he liked to keep it that way. The writing was rather fancy and swirly, as though a lot of care had been put into it. It read:  
Dean,   
Meet me at the cinema two blocks from your apartment  
Tonight at 7pm  
C  
"Cas..." Dean muttered, a small smile on his lips. So Cas had done what he himself had been too scared to do. They were going on a date. A proper, official, on purpose date. He set the note down for a moment while he got changed into his jeans and t-shirt, then folded it in half and slipped it into his pocket. He gathered the rest of his things from his locker, stuffed them into his bag hastily and made his way out to the car. 

Reaching his Impala, he was once again surprised to find a note, in the same swirly handwriting, tucked under the windscreen wiper:  
On second thought, don't meet me  
I'll pick you up  
C  
"Pick me up?" Dean raised a brow, pocketing this note too. The cinema was pretty much a five minute walk away from his apartment, he wouldn't exactly need to be picked up. But, Cas had given his orders and with no way of arguing against them, he had no choice but to follow them.

It was a short drive to get home, especially since Dean did a little bit of speeding. He wanted to make sure he had plenty of time to get ready and the nerves were already starting to kick in. Nervous? Over a date? This certainly wasn't like him at all, Dean Winchester was never nervous for a date. Pulling up outside his apartment, he paused before getting out to rest his forehead against the steering wheel, closing his eyes. Deep breaths. In... and out. That felt better. He clambered out of his car and made his way up to the apartment, dumping his work stuff at the door and kicking his shoes off. First things first, a shower. 

It didn't take him long to get ready, his nerves were making him rush so by the time 6 o'clock came around, he was already finished and ready to go. He stood in the center of the living room, hair washed and styled so that it flicked up at the front, chin freshly shaved, wearing a pair of jeans and a button down shirt, no tie, top button undone. Or should he do it up? No, leave it undone. Don't want to look like he's going for a job interview, this was a date to the movies. Actually, screw the button-down, a t-shirt would be better. He tossed the shirt aside and grabbed a more casual t-shirt, then made his way through to the kitchen. He opened himself a beer, hoping it would soothe him and sat down on the sofa, turning on the TV. He had an hour to kill after all.

An hour later and Dean was starting to get frantic. He stared at himself in the mirror, brushed his teeth for the third time, sprayed a few sprits of cologne on his neck and chest then dug out his shoes from the closet. He shoved them on and then glanced around the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. Wallet, keys, phone. Check, check and check. It was while he was doing these final checks that he heard a knock at the door. His face paled and he flinched. Castiel was here. Was he ready? Did he have everything? He was sure there was something he'd forgotten... No, he hadn't. By the time he'd brought up the courage to answer the door, Castiel had knocked again thinking he hadn't heard him. Dean paused, took a breath and finally opened the door.

"Cas!" Dean smiled wide as he saw Castiel standing in the hall, dressed in a pair of loose-fitting jeans, a green t-shirt and a dark hoodie. "Come in, I was just finishing getting ready." Yeah, an hour ago... Dean frowned at himself but quickly hid it, his gaze lifting to meet Castiel's as he passed him. He pushed the door over to close it and then turned back to Cas, who had settled himself on the sofa already. 

"The movie doesn't start until 7:30, so we have some time." He smiled, crossing one leg over the knee of the other. He patted the space beside him and then let his hands rest in his lap. Dean took this moment to take in the man before him, so smooth and calm, like this was a regular thing. Was it? Did he go on guy-dates all the time? Well, Dean already knew that Cas was gay, so surely he must have been on plenty of dates with guys, just like Dean had been on plenty with girls. Was it weird that this was his first guy-date? "I'm not gonna bite, y'know." Cas grinned that cheeky smile and Dean realized he had been staring. Again. 

"Sorry," Dean smirked and sat down beside Cas, wondering how it came to be that Cas had been the one who was shy on Monday, yet now Dean was the one who was as flustered as a dewy-eyed high school girl. "What movie are we going to see?"

"It's some cheesy movie about ghosts and spirits, or maybe it's demons... I'm not sure, all I know is it looked good on the trailer." Cas laughed, fidgeting a little so that he was turned towards Dean and a little closer to him, Dean copying him almost exactly. "So, since it'll probably take us about ten minutes to walk down to the cinema, we've got twenty minutes to kill." He glanced towards the TV which was still turned on, some cookery show about making pies. "Learning new skills?" 

"I already know how to make pie," Dean snorted, as though it had been a silly question and that everyone knew how to make pie. "I'm just picking up tips on how to make mine better." Cas nodded and then shuffled closer, leaning across so that his head was resting against Dean's shoulder. A little surprised, Dean was unsure what to do at first. How would you act if it were a girl? He really had to stop comparing things to a date with a girl, but he was new to this, so until he was used to it, he'd have to. He lifted his arm up and wrapped it around Castiel, resting it across his shoulders which Cas took as a cue to curl up closer. 

"You'll have to make a pie for me some time." Cas commented as they watched the show. "If it's anything like those burgers you made, I bet it's heavenly." Dean smirked and shrugged slightly, being careful not to knock Castiel's head too much. 

"It's okay, home made is always better than store bought but mine aren't really up to scratch yet." 

"So modest." Cas laughed, lifting his hand up to interlock his fingers with the hand that was resting on his shoulder. Dean looked down at him as a light blush crossed his cheeks, smiling to himself at the small gesture of affection. He let his head rest against the tufts of black hair that was tickling his cheek, catching that soothing scent of Castiel, a scent that comforted him and made him feel at ease. It was strange what something as simple as that could do, even his nerves were starting to drift away as he breathed in the faint aroma.


	6. Chapter 6

Dean woke with a slight jolt as he heard his name being muttered softly in his ear. His eyes opened wide and he looked around, trying to gather his bearings before remembering what they were supposed to be doing. Shit! The movie... They hadn't missed it, had they? 

"Hey, sleepy-head." Cas muttered, a grin on his lips as he peered up at Dean. "You fell asleep. Tired?" Dean rubbed his hand over his face and shook his head, blinking a few times and then letting his head rest against Castiel's.

"Nah, I just dozed off. Did we miss the movie?" He frowned slightly, hoping he hadn't spoiled their date.

"Not yet, but it's about time we start walking over to the cinema. By the time we get there now, we'll probably have missed the trailers." Cas went to sit up but was stopped as Dean refused to let go. In his sleep, he'd wrapped his arms around the guy and now that he was awake and aware of it, he wanted to make the most of it. "Dean, we'll be late." He giggled, though stopped struggling. Instead, he lay against Dean again, their chests pressed together so that their faces were barely inches away from one another. 

Dean smirked, his arms adjusting to wrap around Castiel's waist and pull him across into his lap. "I just want to stay here for a minute..." His voice had turned to a whisper and Cas had slipped his arms around his neck, their foreheads lightly touching as they leaned in close. Dean wanted to close the gap, to finally press his lips against that sweet pout that practically screamed 'kiss me' every time Cas talked, but he didn't want to rush anything. This was their first official date, he had to at least wait until the end of it. They paused for a moment, simply enjoying the embrace and breathing each other in before finally Castiel pulled away with a faint smile.

"Come on, we'll miss the movie." He stood up and this time Dean allowed his arms to fall to his sides, running a hand through his hair before standing up. It sure was strange going through all this with a guy, but it felt right. It felt so much more meaningful than the nights he spent with girls, even when they turned into long-term relationships. This was just... better. He grabbed his hoodie from the coat hanger and opened the door, standing aside to let Castiel through first. "Thank you." Cas smiled as he slipped past out into the hall, waiting for Dean to follow. This was sure to be an interesting date.

Once they were outside, Cas slipped his arm around Dean's so that they were linked, but Dean couldn't help glancing around to see if anyone was watching. Of course, with it being 7:25, there was no one around. 

"Worried about being seen with me?" Cas questioned, staring across at him. Dean cringed, he'd hoped Cas hadn't noticed.

"It's not that, it's just... no one around here, y'know, knows." He shrugged, pocketing his free hand into his jeans. "I'm just not sure how certain people would react." Cas chuckled and nodded with understanding.

"It's okay, I get what you mean. Would you rather I didn't...?" He went to pull his arm away but Dean pressed his arm against his side, pinning Castiel's there. 

"Don't you dare," He chastised, frowning in mock anger. "If people see, they see." Cas watched him intently and smiled softly to himself, resting his head against Dean's shoulder while they walked. Dean was starting to get the impression that Cas was a very physical person, with all of the leaning on him and such. Not that he minded, in fact he quite liked the attention. "So, what movie are we going to see again?"

"It's a sci-fi, I can't remember what it's called but it's got a load of supernatural, paranormal, weirdo, spooky stuff in it." 

"Will you hold my hand if I get scared?" 

"Only if you hold mine if I get scared too." Cas laughed, unhooking his arm and standing up straight as they reached the cinema. He reached into his wallet and pulled out two tickets for the movie, handing them to the attendant inside who pointed them in the right direction. Making their way to the back row, Dean noticed they were just in time, as the movie was about to begin. 

Cas had been right earlier when he'd said it would be cheesy, but Dean had a feeling he'd picked this one on purpose. It was interesting enough to keep them from being bored, but boring enough to stop them getting too interested, just in case they ended up... distracted. They managed twenty minutes before Dean pulled the 'stretching arms' move, his arm sneaking around Castiel's shoulders. Cas giggled quietly and shuffled closer, resting his head against Dean again. It was almost like he'd made it his perch, spending so much time there. Dean looked down at the bright-eyed guy who's hand was now resting on his knee. He wanted to kiss him so bad. To feel that warmth, those lips, that affection... He was adorable and handsome and everything Dean could possibly want. If he didn't do it now, he wouldn't have enough courage for it later. He reached out to place his fingers beneath his chin, lifting slowly until Cas was looking up at him, those bright eyes dimmed slightly by the darkness of the room but he could see enough. Those sunken eyes that gave him that puppy dog look, those perfect lips that were, even now, curved into a pout, that tufted hair that looked so soft to touch... This was it. He couldn't think too much about it or he'd chicken out. Don't be a wuss, Winchester.

Before Dean even had a chance to make his move, Cas had done it for him. In a single fluid motion, he had turned himself towards Dean, placed a hand on either side of his head and was, rather hastily, kissing him. Taken aback, Dean paused for a moment before wrapping his arms around Cas and returning the kiss, taking note of every little detail. The way he could feel Castiel's warmth against his face, the light brushing of his nose against his cheek, the feeling of his fingers sliding up into his hair, the tickle of his stubble against his chin... Cas gave a soft whimper of fulfillment, and Dean understood it perfectly. He'd been dying to kiss Cas for days now. He had figured out what had made him so distracted on that first day they met, what had him feeling unusual and lost in thought. He'd been wanting to feel these lips on his own since the moment he'd seen those piercing eyes staring at him. 

Breaking the kiss, Cas leaned back and gasped for air. Although it was dark, there was still enough light to see the dark shade of red he had turned and Dean was sure his own face was a similar colour. They stared at one another for a moment before both started to giggle nervously, Cas settling back down in his seat. 

"I'm sorry..." Cas muttered softly, a more apologetic look on his face now, "I couldn't help it." 

"Don't be sorry." Dean chuckled, his heart pounding in his ears. "To be honest I was getting nervous, I didn't think I was gonna go through with it but then you did..." 

"You were nervous about kissing me?" Castiel looked genuinely surprised, his lips parted slightly in shock. "I was so nervous I could hardly breathe..." He turned his gaze back towards the screen and Dean smiled to himself, holding him close. He was enjoying this so much more than he would if there were a girl sitting beside him. He would've had no problem kissing her and the date would have continued on like every other date. But this had been different from the moment Cas had walked through his door. And Dean loved it.


	7. Chapter 7

By the time the movie had ended, Cas had moved so that he was sitting sideways; his legs on the chair beside him and his head in Dean's lap. Dean had his feet up on the chair in front and was gently running his fingers through Castiel's hair, slumped down in his chair slightly while he watched the movie. Cas appeared to have fallen asleep, so by the time the credits rolled, Dean didn't really want to wake him but the moment he stopped playing with the dark locks, his eyes opened and the vivid blue orbs stared up at him.

"Hey, sleepy-head." Dean smirked, copying the nickname Cas had called him earlier for falling asleep on the sofa. "The movie's over." 

"Was it a good ending?" 

"Not particularly. Two people died, some dude found a spell to kill the monster, he got together with the girl who randomly appeared half way through the movie, happily ever after." Dean shrugged, it hadn't really been an interesting movie but he'd been perfectly happy sitting and admiring Cas while he slept. Was that creepy? Surely not if his head had been in his lap.

"You tell it so vividly, it's as if I watched the whole thing." Cas teased, grinning as Dean gently flicked his cheek.

"Hey, I'll have you know I am an expert story-teller." Cas sat up and stretched, raising a brow at Dean. 

"You'll have to tell me a story and prove it." 

"Alright then." Dean shrugged, a look of determination on his face. "Once upon a time, there was a dude who was very popular with the ladies." He paused as Cas gave him a questioning look and they stood up, making their way out while Dean continued. "He could have any girl he wanted and he had them all. They were weak at the knees, stunned by his charm and extreme good looks and he could make them swoon with a single sentence." By now, they had reached outdoors and were slowly strolling back to Dean's apartment, linked arm in arm once again. Cas was listening quietly, amused by Dean's 'story'. "He worked in this school that was full of women, but none of them that he really wanted so it was slim pickings. So one day, he meets this new teacher. He's handsome and he's cute and he's all shy and innocent... so our main guy, of course, instantly falls for him. See, he's got these eyes that are so... captivating, our main guy can't stop staring at them." Dean turned his head to peer at Cas, who was staring up at him intently. He paused for a moment, staring deeply into Castiel's eyes before continuing again. "So they grab a beer, have some dinner and for the whole week, the main guy can't take his mind off the new teacher. He's thinking about him and thinking about him until one day, they go on a date... they go see some movie, they share their first amazing kiss and the main guy starts to think... hey, this isn't a fling, this is some serious stuff here." 

"And what about the new guy? Does he think it's serious?" Cas was captivated by the story, his hand clinging onto Dean's arm.

"Well, the main guy hopes so." Dean nodded his head, though his gaze was lowered. He was getting nervous again. This wasn't about some story, this was him and Cas, it had gotten a lot more real now. Cas stopped, his arm pulling on Dean's arm to make him stop too. They stood together in the middle of the dark street, their only light source a street lamp further down the road. "Does... does the new guy think it's serious?" Dean whispered softly, his nerves starting to show in his voice.

Cas smiled to himself as he leaned up to press his lips against Dean's, a kiss that was more gentle than their hasty 'First Kiss' earlier. When their lips parted, Cas lingered and whispered softly in his ear so that his word would be felt in the breath on Dean's skin.

"Yes." 

Dean slipped his arms around Castiel's waist and began their kiss again, soft and tender as he held him close against his own body. Cas lifted his arms up to slip them around his neck, both tilting their heads slightly as their kiss grew deeper, the passion between them building and their hunger for one another growing. Dean could feel fingers entwining in his hair, curling and gripping lightly while his own hands explored down to Castiel's rear. He slipped his hands into the back pocket of Castiel's jeans and gave a soft squeeze, causing him to squeak into their kiss. The feel of his rather perfect behind beneath his hands and the sound the squeeze had made him make drove Dean crazy, pulling him as close as possible and pushing his own hips against Castiel's.

"D-Dean..." Cas muttered as they paused for breath, though he could barely manage to get his voice out before Dean's lips had taken over again. Cas giggled against him and pulled away slightly, holding onto his head to stop him chasing after him to continue. "Dean... we're in the middle of the street." He glanced around, looking to see if anyone was watching. Of course, by now it was rather late and there was no one around, but Dean got the picture.

"Right, sorry..." He muttered, grinning to himself at how carried away he'd been getting. He pulled his hands out of Castiel's pockets and held out his arm for Cas to link with him again. 

"Not that I mind," Cas smirked as they walked arm in arm down the remainder of the street. "I just don't think your neighbours would appreciate seeing you in full make-out mode with a dude outside their place." Dean nodded in agreement as they stopped outside his apartment building.

"It's okay, I'm a little glad you pointed it out to be honest or else I think I probably would have just..." his voice faded out and his face darkened to a bright red. He ignored the questioning look on Castiel's face, who was willing him to continue, and instead opted for a new sentence entirely. "Do you want to come inside for a cup of coffee?" 

"I'd love to." Cas smiled and followed him inside, up the familiar elevator and through to Dean's apartment. Cas took his hoodie off and put it beside Dean's on the coat hooks, throwing himself down on the sofa and groaning loudly as though worn out. "What. A. Day." Dean chuckled from the kitchen, already preparing two cups for the coffee. 

"Busy?"

"Traumatic." Cas snorted, rolling onto his back and spreading out so that his limbs were sprawled half over the back of the sofa, half hanging off the edge. "I had my least favourite students today. The others have all calmed down, but this class... they're still pushing boundaries." 

"I keep meaning to ask, how are you settling in?" Dean spoke over the rattling of the coffee maker, holding up a bag of sugar and a spoon to ask how many Cas wanted.

"Two please. Uhh, not too bad, actually. A couple of the other teachers have been helping me find my way around, pointing out which students to look out for, that kind of thing. It's weird how the teachers all seem to be scared of the kids." Cas frowned, watching Dean bring the cups of coffee out to set them on the table. He grabbed Castiel's leg and lifted it to make room so he could sit down on the sofa, then brought his leg down to rest it across his lap. "I don't think I've ever worked at a school like that before." Dean nodded to show he was listening, unlacing Cas's shoe and pulling it off. He reached for the leg that was over the back of the sofa, pulling it down into his lap too and removing that shoe as well, though not before he caught a quick, sneaky glance towards Castiel's rather open crotch. He'd had a rather enticing view from where he was sat, between Castiel's open legs, but that would be saved for another night. Possibly. 

"Our school is the kind of place parents send their kids because they think it's a dumping ground for the ones with behavior problems." Dean shrugged, he'd come to terms with this long ago. He started to rub his thumbs in circles on the base of Castiel's foot, massaging gently and smiling as he made a rather grateful groan of relief. He definitely looked like he needed a foot-rub and it seemed to be helping already. "So when you put a bunch of badly behaved kids together, you get a scary class with a terrified staff." 

"It's definitely scary having all those kids sitting at desks staring at you, and you know that what you teach them might influence their lives... but knowing that half of them want to murder you is just down right terrifying." Cas had closed his eyes as he relaxed, enjoying the sensation of Dean rubbing his feet. He really was grateful, he'd been under a lot of stress all week with the students driving him crazy, so it was nice to just sit and be pampered a little by someone. "You're very good at that." He mumbled softly, his head drooping to one side slightly. 

"I practice. A guy's gotta know how to do this when he dates women who wear high heels all day." Dean snorted lightly and moved to the other foot, glancing over at Cas who seemed to be ready to fall asleep. "You should stay here tonight." Castiel's eyes quickly opened and he shook his head, chewing his lower lip slightly.

"No, I couldn't do that, I wouldn't want to put you out..." 

"Cas, you're staying over. You look like you're about to fall asleep and I don't want you driving home while you're tired." Dean's voice was stern, but still managed to be gentle, his brow furrowed into a frown that told Cas not to bother arguing against his word.

"I don't have anything with me, no pajamas or a toothbrush." 

"I have a spare toothbrush, hasn't even been opened yet. And you can borrow my pajamas." Dean raised a brow and his massaging slowed to a stop. "You're staying and that's that, okay?" Cas looked at him uncertainly but he was way too tired to argue, plus it did seem like a good idea anyway...

"Alright..."

"Good. You can sleep in my bed, I'll take the couch." Cas seemed mortified by this idea and shook his head, adamant that this time he'd get his way. 

"No, I can't do that. I'll sleep on the couch." 

"You'll sleep in my bed. You can try sleeping out here but I'll be awake longer than you and I can just move you." Dean smirked, he always got his way. Cas groaned and threw his arms over his face, huffing slightly.

"Alright. But I'm making breakfast in the morning. Deal?"

"Deal." Dean reached over to poke Castiel's stomach lightly, as lifting his arms to his face had caused his t-shirt to ride up. Cas squeaked and wriggled, quickly pulling his shirt down, making Dean grin as he went back to rubbing his feet.


	8. Chapter 8

It didn't take long for Dean to notice that Castiel was ready to sleep. His eyes kept closing despite his efforts to keep them open and his head kept drooping. Lifting his legs up off his lap, he stood and then bent down to lift Cas up, scooping one arm beneath his legs, the other beneath his back so that Cas could wrap his own arm around Dean's neck.

"C'mon, bed-time." He grunted, lifting him up. He was surprisingly light for his size so Dean had no problem carrying him through to the bedroom. His room was rather different to the living room, it was small but that just made it cosier. The large double bed filled most of the room, with thick, soft covers, a thinner sheet for summer and chunky pillows. There wasn't much else in there besides a bedside table topped by a lamp on either side of the bed, a chest of drawers with a TV on top and a walk-in closet. He set Cas down on the bed, then chewed his lower lip nervously. "I'm not sure what happens next." Cas laughed sleepily and raised a brow playfully.

"Well, I know what sometimes happens next, but this is only our first date." Dean frowned stubbornly and shook his head.

"That's not what I mean..." He then realized Cas was joking and his expression softened, shaking his head again as he turned around to dig out some pajamas. He grabbed a pair and passed them over to Cas, who was wriggling around on the bed.

"You have a very comfortable bed." He commented, settling on his back with his arms and legs spread out in a starfish sort of position. Dean found it highly amusing and laughed, rolling his shoulders.

"Thanks, I like sleeping in comfort. Cas nodded in agreement, though his smile seemed to fade a little as Dean headed to the door. "I'll see you in the morning." He turned to smile at Cas on his way out, wanting to stay but only if he was asked to. He grabbed a spare blanket from a store closet in the hall, then made his way to the couch, setting it down before he grabbed the two still-full cups of coffee to take them to the kitchen. He'd only used them as an excuse to get Cas here anyway. As he rinsed out the cups, he heard the pad pad pad of footsteps along the hard wood floor and sure enough, moments later, Castiel poked his head around the wall.

"Could I get a glass of water?" He leaned on the bar and Dean couldn't help but grin seeing him in his pajamas. He'd given him a black set, a button-down shirt with matching pants. Cas had left the top few buttons undone and his hair was tufted from presumably when he had lifted his own t-shirt over his head, it was quite cute really.

"Sure, just a minute." He washed the two cups, then grabbed a glass and filled it with fresh water, passing it over the bar to Cas.

"Thank you," he smiled, taking a sip and standing up straight. "Goodnight." He padded away back down the hall, leaving Dean to grin to himself. He turned the kitchen light off and made his way back to the sofa, stripping down to his boxers and settling down. Only a minute or two later, he heard the bedroom door open again and once more heard the pad pad pad of footsteps. He lifted his head to look over to find Castiel coming out of the hallway, now only wearing the pajama pants - he'd removed the shirt and now stood half naked in the middle of the room. "Where is the bathroom?" He ran a hand through his hair as he tilted his head, looking down at Dean who was covered up to the waist by his blanket. 

"Uh, it's... it's the door on the left across from the door to the bedroom." Dean mumbled, his eyes exploring the contours of Castiel's toned chest and abdomen. He knew there was no way Castiel could have missed the bathroom. For one, it was the only other door he hadn't been through yet and two, the door had been wide open when he himself had passed it a moment ago, so it was quite obvious. 

"Got it!" Cas called from down the hallway, then came the sound of the door shutting. There was quiet for a moment, then Cas left the bathroom and returned to the bedroom. Dean stared at the empty hallway for a moment, chewing his lip while he pondered why Cas had practically paraded in front of him and made up the fact that he didn't know where the bathroom was. He shrugged it off and decided it could wait until morning, closing his eyes until only seconds later he once again heard pad pad pad. He opened his eyes, expecting to see Cas again, but what he saw almost made his heart stop.

"I finished my glass of water," Cas smiled as he strode past the sofa, now wearing nothing but the thin blanket from the bed. Dean could tell he was wearing nothing beneath it, as he wasn't exactly wrapped in it, more sort of holding it against his chest. As he turned the corner to go around to the kitchen door, Dean had a perfect view of his ass, something which caught his attention instantly. He was mesmorized by the image so much that he barely heard Cas continue to talk. "I didn't want to leave the glass in the bedroom in case I forgot it in the morning." He removed the blanket and set it down on the bar, knowing full well that it would drive Dean crazy knowing he was stood naked in the kitchen but from the waist down, he was out of sight. He washed the glass and put it away, grabbing the blanket again and this time wrapping it around his waist. He left the kitchen but before he could reach the hallway, he was stopped by Dean, who had gotten up to stand in front of him. 

"You're gonna be the death of me." Dean growled, his hands grabbing Castiel's waist and pulling him close. Cas smirked and placed a hand on Dean's cheek, the other holding the blanket up. 

"All part of my master plan." He placed a kiss on Dean's lips, pushing his body up against his chest and chuckling as he felt Dean's hands sliding down to the blanket. He quickly pulled away, taking a step back and shaking his head. "Nope." He slipped past Dean who chewed his lower lip, watching him walk away. Cas was clearly well practiced in the ways of driving a guy crazy. It was definitely working. He was hooked. He was completely hooked. Pressing his back against the cool wall behind him, he sank his face into his hands and took a deep breath. This guy... he'd only known him a week and already he was craving him, lusting for him... loving him...? No, surely not this soon. He shook his head to clear his mind and glanced towards the bedroom door."Screw it, I'm sleeping in my bed." He muttered under his breath, heading down to the bedroom. He paused before entering, knocking his knuckles against the door.

"Come in." Cas called out. Dean pushed the door open just in time to see Cas sliding his pair of pajama pants back on, catching a second glimpse of his ass before it disappeared. 

"I'm sleeping in here." Dean clambered into his bed, watching the confused looking Cas with amusement. 

"Changed your mind, huh?" Cas shrugged and started to pick up his things, though stopped when he saw the frown on Dean's face. "You... you want me to sleep in here too?" His question was answered when Dean reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back into bed. With an 'ooft' Cas fell beside Dean who instantly wrapped his arms around him, pulling the blanket over them both. 

"Better." Dean grunted, burying his head against Castiel's bare chest. "Honestly, Cas... What do you do to me? I was manly before you came along. Now I'm snuggling." Cas snorted and ran his fingers through the light tufts of hair that tickled his chin, shrugging his shoulders slightly and sliding an arm beneath Dean to hold him close. 

"Is it really such a bad thing?" He reached beside him to turn off the lamp, sending them both into darkness. Dean murmured quietly in answer to the question, something about probably being a good thing, but it wasn't long before he dozed off, much to Castiel's amusement. He left a soft kiss on Dean's forehead before closing his eyes, soon drifting off to sleep himself.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Dean woke up in an empty bed. He frowned to himself and sat up, rubbing the palm of his hand against his eye before swinging his legs out of bed and getting up. He rummaged through his chest of drawers to find a fresh set of clothes, getting dressed into a pair of basketball shorts and a grey tank-top before heading out. As soon as he opened the bedroom door, he was hit with the strong smell of greasy cooking, breathing in deeply and remembering Castiel had made it part of the deal that he'd make breakfast. Whatever it was, it smelt amazing. He made his way to the living room, leaning on the bar to look into the kitchen and finding Cas stood in front of the cooker, wearing only a pair of jeans and Dean's apron, which he must have searched for because Dean hadn't used it since he stuffed it in a cupboard somewhere last Autumn after BBQ season ended. Dean couldn't help but admire the contours of his back, his muscular shoulders, his toned structure and the way those jeans hung so loosely off his hips...

"Morning." He finally grunted, startling Cas who spun around quickly.

"Oh! Good morning." He smiled, spatula in hand. "I'm making breakfast." 

"I can see that." Dean nodded, leaning to one side to peer past Cas and find out what he was cooking. Bacon, sausages, eggs... a whole bunch of other stuff.

"I'm making an English breakfast." Cas turned back to the cooker and shuffled the pan, causing the whole kitchen to fill with the sound of sizzling. "Bacon, eggs, fried and scrambled, beans, sausage, toast, and some other things. I ran down to the store while you were sleeping and grabbed what I could find."

"You went out in just your jeans?" Dean raised a brow, sitting on one of the stools.

"No, I was dressed." Cas shrugged his shoulders as though it was perfectly normal for him to get dressed, go out, then come back and get half-undressed again. Dean narrowed his eyes slightly and wondered if he'd taken his shirt off on purpose, knowing that he'd stare and admire... He certainly was peculiar in that aspect, like some kind of peacock showing off to attract a mate, he'd proven that with his display last night. Not that he really needed to, he'd already attracted Dean long ago. "Coffee?"

"Yes, please." Dean slumped his head down onto the bar, resting it on top of folded arms. Cas had apparently prepared for this answer, as he'd already made the coffee and was just waiting for confirmation. He set the cup down beside Dean along with the sugar and a spoon, then turned back to their breakfast.

"You've got good timing, this is just about done. I was trying to think of a way to wake you up. Plates?" He looked to Dean who, without lifting his head, raised an arm to point to one of the far cupboards. "Thanks." Cas grabbed two plates and set them up, dishing their breakfast out and grabbing cutlery for them both. He hung up the apron and set a plate in front of Dean along with his knife and fork, before starting on his own. "You're a pretty heavy sleeper." He frowned with what seemed like concern, but Dean only just caught it as when he lifted his head, Cas quickly smiled.

"You tried to wake me?" Dean raised a brow, picking up his fork and shoveling a mouthful of egg into his mouth.

"Well..." Cas bobbed his head from side to side, rolling his shoulders. "You woke me in the middle of the night, I think you were having a bad dream or something." Dean's face quickly turned bright red but before he could say anything, Cas continued. "I mean, I didn't mind that you woke me, of course. I was just worried about you, I tried to wake you up but you just kinda... clung to me. Then you went quiet so I figured you were okay." Dean lowered his gaze to stare at his breakfast, mortified that the first night they'd spent together, he'd had one of his infamous nightmares. 

He was rather prone to bad dreams. Ever since his mother had died, he'd dreamt of fires, falling into pits of flame, burning alive. Always so vivid that he usually woke in a sweat, limbs flailing as he tried to escape the lick of the flames that were never there to begin with. Cas wanted to press him about what he'd been dreaming about, but was too polite to ask. Dean could tell by the look on his face that he wanted to know, but he wasn't sure he was ready to explain. It was a... sensitive subject. 

"These scrambled eggs are amazing." He smiled as he changed the subject and Cas nodded in understanding. Reluctant to discuss bad dreams - noted. 

"I added a secret ingredient to them, good right?" Cas grinned, Dean wasn't the only one who knew how to cook... True, he was limited to only a few things, but what few things Castiel could cook, he could cook well. "Oh, your phone rang earlier by the way, I'm sorry but I couldn't help over-hearing the voice-mail someone left, it went to speaker. Someone's coming over around noon, they didn't say their name." Dean furrowed his brow in puzzlement, trying to work out who would call so early. He stuck one of his sausages with his fork and carried it with him on his way to the phone which hung up on the wall beside the kitchen door to check the voice-mail. The moment he heard who's voice it was, he groaned.

"Awh crap..." He dropped his head against the wall with a soft thump, taking a bite of the sausage. "Damn it, not today." 

"Something wrong?" Cas called from the kitchen, to which Dean responded with a simple grunt. He hung up the phone and sat back down on his stool, a deep frown set on his face. 

"My brother. He's coming over today because he needs me to take a look at his car." He rubbed his hand across his face in exasperation and shook his head. "I'm really sorry, you don't have to stay if you don't want to, I don't want you getting bored while I'm out there fixing his damn car." Cas laughed and pulled Dean's hand away from his face so that he could look at him properly.

"I don't mind, I'd quite like to meet your brother. As long as that's okay with you, of course." Dean shrugged his shoulders in a way that told Cas he wasn't really too bothered. "Do you want me to keep uh... us between us? I get it if you don't want him knowing I spent the night in your bed." He snickered and it was clear that this hadn't even occurred to Dean, his face paled and his eyes widened.

"Awh crap, I didn't even think of that... Yeah, sorry, I hope you don't mind..." He ran a hand through his hair and shoveled another mouthful of his breakfast into his mouth, then glanced towards the clock that was set above the TV behind him. "We've still got about an hour and a half before he turns up though." He turned his head back towards Cas and was surprised to find him leaning across the bar waiting for him so that as he turned, their lips met. After a rather lengthy kiss, Cas pulled back to continue his breakfast, grinning as widely as a Cheshire Cat. 

"I don't mind. But I'm making the most of the time we've got."


	10. Chapter 10

The next hour and a half was relatively frantic for Dean, trying to cover up any and all evidence that Cas had stayed the night. He left Castiel to watch TV, despite a brief argument over whether or not Cas was allowed to help, while he tidied up the place. He threw Cas's clothes into a quick wash, grabbed a shower, shaved, got changed, put the freshly washed clothes into the tumble drier, hoovered the apartment, tidied his bedroom (Sam was highly unlikely to go in there, but Dean was cautious anyway) washed, dried and put away their breakfast plates and then finally collapsed onto the couch with the bundle of clean clothes. 

"Okay, now the only thing left is for you to get dressed." The very second he handed the clean clothes over, the buzzer at the door rang. "Shit..." Dean's face paled. That would be Sam... Cas couldn't help but giggle at Dean's panic, kissing him softly to calm him.

"Don't worry, take a deep breath. I'll get changed in the bathroom and if he's up here before I'm finished, I'll flush the toilet before I come out so he thinks I've just been taking a leak. He won't suspect a thing, okay?" Dean smiled gratefully and nodded, placing a brief kiss against his cheek before standing up to go to the door. Cas hastily made his way to the bathroom to get changed and Dean waited until the door was shut before pressing the intercom.

"Hey, that you Sammy?" 

"Yeah, let me in!"

Dean pushed the button that would unlock the door downstairs, then wondered to himself how Cas had managed to get in earlier. Someone must have let him in, maybe he'd charmed a neighbour? The idea of Cas sweet talking someone into letting him in made Dean feel a little jealous, but he realized that was silly and let it slide. 

"Dean?" Cas poked his head out of the bathroom and Dean spun around, catching an eyeful of the once-again shirtless Castiel. He was holding up Dean's pair of pajama pants and it was then that Dean noticed he was rather awkwardly leaning so that his waist was hidden still in the bathroom. Was he... naked? Again? This guy really was comfortable with being naked in another guys house... "Where should I put these?" He waved the pants a bit, trying to recapture Dean's attention as Dean's eyes had started to wander downwards. 

"Uh, sorry..." Dean muttered, about to go to him to take the pants before stopping himself. "Ah, uh, just leave them on the floor there, I'll grab them in a minute." Cas nodded and set them on the floor before disappearing behind the door again to finish getting dressed. By the time Dean had grabbed the pants, put them in the washing basket in his bedroom and returned to the living room for a final sweep of tidying, Sam had reached the door and was knocking his knuckles against it.

"Let me in, dude, it's me." Impatient as ever. Dean rolled his eyes and opened the door, letting it swing aside so Sam could come in. "Hey, for once you're actually dressed." Dean frowned and pushed the door shut, watching his brother make his way to the kitchen.

"I'm always dressed. You just usually turn up early and catch me off-guard." He grunted, sitting down on one of the bar stools while Sam grabbed two beers from the fridge. "Make that three." Sam narrowed his eyes in confusion, grabbing a third beer and popping the lids off each of them. He set them down and before he could open his mouth again, his puzzlement was answered by the flush of the toilet from down the hall. This is it... Dean took a deep breath and sipped his beer, keeping his eyes averted from his rather blank-faced brother who was staring down the hallway at the guy who was now on his way to join them. "Sammy, this is Castiel. Cas, this is Sam." 

"Pleasure." Sam noted, sliding the extra beer over the bar towards Cas who was smiling brightly. "Friend of Dean's?" 

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Cas sat himself down on the stool beside Dean who quickly took over the explanation.

"We sorta work together, he's the new sub for that teacher I told you about, the one who's taking time off to visit family in Canada or something." Dean looked across at Cas, desperately hoping that it wasn't completely obvious that they were dating. It shouldn't be, Sam wasn't particularly quick to pick up on those things but if Cas kept grinning like that, it was only a matter of time...

"Oh, cool." Sam smiled and his confusion disappeared, causing Dean to sigh inwardly in relief. "How long are you here for?"

"I'm not sure, the school said it's only until Mrs Henway comes back from her visit but they mentioned keeping me around in case I'm needed after that." Cas shrugged. Sam nodded and turned around to look through the cupboards for food, something Dean was used to now and always planned for by stocking Sam's own little section. Cas took this opportunity to glance across at Dean, lifting the beer bottle to his lips and hooking his lips around the edge in a rather seductive pout, meaning to put Dean off.

"Must be tough being a sub, jumping from school to school." Sam commented over his shoulder as Dean turned bright red, fidgeting in his seat and sending a look back at Cas that warned him to stop.

"It's not so bad," Cas smirked, sipping his beer and setting the bottle down. "I meet a lot of new people so it's nice to settle in to new places for a while." Sam turned back around, a packet of peanut butter cups in his hand. 

"Yeah, I guess that sounds okay." Sam shrugged and opened his snack, catching the rolling eyes of his brother and realizing he'd left the cupboard open which he quickly closed. "Still, I'd hate to be constantly on the move. Do you stick mainly to the area or do you travel all over the place?" 

"It depends really, if I meet good friends I usually stick to the area for a while, maybe a few months, but I usually end up moving on." Cas bobbed his head from side to side and then quickly added, "I think I might stay here for a little longer though, I don't particularly want to leave this place." He shot a brief glance towards Dean who had turned pale at the thought of Cas leaving. It had been so sudden and abrupt, he hadn't even considered it until now but now that it had been brought up... how long would Cas be around for? 

"You okay, Dean?" Sam raised his brow at his brother who had faded out of the conversation.

"Huh? Yeah, fine." Dean forced a smile but it didn't convince either Sam or Cas. Sam knew he wouldn't go into it though and shrugged, turning back to the cupboards. "Geez Sam, you planning on eating me out of house and home today?"

"Hey, I haven't had breakfast yet, shut up." Sam rummaged through the cupboards again and Dean rolled his eyes, glancing across at Cas who was looking very sorry for himself. Apparently it hadn't dawned on him either to think of what would happen when he was needed in some other school far away. Dean carefully reached his hand across to place it on Castiel's knee in an effort to comfort him, something that brought a smile to his face. "Besides, I'll just keep eating until you go fix my damn car." 

"Is that a hint?" Dean glared at his brother who turned around and returned the look with pursed lips. 

"Maybe it is." Sam raised a brow, their staring contest only lasting a few seconds before Dean gave in.

"Fine." He slammed his beer down on the bar and stood up dramatically. "But if I find any more porn in that car, I'm telling Meg." He grinned towards Cas who snorted and almost choked on his beer, grabbing his shoes from beside the door.

"Not cool, man." Sam scowled, though soon couldn't help but laugh himself. "I'll come down with you, I wanna see what's wrong in case it happens again-" Dean held a hand up to gesture for Sam to stop, raising his eyebrows as he spoke rather matter-of-factually.

"First of all, it ain't gonna happen again 'cause I'm gonna fix it. And secondly, you're coming down because I don't trust leaving you here with my unguarded kitchen." He turned to open the door and grumbled. "Last time I did that, you ate all my chips." He made his way out into the hall to wait for the elevator, closely followed by Sam and then Castiel who felt too awkward waiting around in an empty apartment.


	11. Chapter 11

The trio headed out to the car, a black Dodge Charger, which Sam was incredibly proud of and almost as protective of as Dean was of his Impala. Dean was surprised to see someone sitting in the front seat, though as they approached he realized it was just Meg. Great.

"Took long enough." Came the annoying drone of the woman Dean could hardly stand. She leaned out of the passenger side window to look at Dean, her eyes quickly turning to Castiel who was stood behind him, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Who's that?" 

"He's none of your business." Dean snapped, glaring at the blonde haired woman who simply smiled in return. "Pop the hood." Meg leaned across to the drivers side to push the button that would open the hood of the car, leaning back in her seat as Dean disappeared behind the black sheet. She peered out of the window once more at Cas who now stood off to one side, watching Dean. 

"Hey, c'mere." She called out, nodding as Cas pointed to himself. He shuffled over to the window, glancing at Dean who didn't even look up. "What's your name?" 

"Castiel." 

"Like, the angel?" Meg smirked, clearly pleased by his surprise that she knew. "I went to Sunday school. That's a pretty sweet name." She leaned her elbow on the door, her chin resting on the palm of her hand. "So how long have you been seeing Dean?" Her voice had lowered now and she held a look in her eyes that told Cas she wasn't joking.

"How did you...?" Cas was mortified. The secret was out. He'd blown their cover. Dean was going to be pissed...

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Dean is a jerk but it's his business, not mine, if he doesn't want Sam to know, he won't. I could tell him out-loud that his brother is gay and he'd just laugh it off." She shrugged and for a brief moment a genuine smile crossed her lips. "He only gets that protective over people he cares about, and I've only ever seen him like that over Sam. Plus you've got the sort of stubble that shows you haven't shaved since yesterday which can only mean you stayed over last night. So? How long?" 

"We had our first date last night." Cas swayed from one foot to the other, looking very much like a high school student with some sort of infatuation. So according to this woman, Dean cared about him...? That was... well, it was more than enough to make his cheeks glow pink.

"That's adorable." Meg smirked, then blinked and chewed her lip. "Wait, last night was your first date? And you stayed over? You sly dog!" She laughed, much to Castiel's embarrassment. "Sorry, but that's just-" 

"Hey, what're you laughing at in there?" Dean called from the front of the car, slamming the hood down. He walked around to the window and frowned. "Leave him alone, he ain't used to your bitchiness." He turned to Sam who had followed him to the hood and now stood behind him. "I think it's your heat shield, the engine looks fine. I'll get my jack." He cast a final glare towards Meg before disappearing again to fetch the jack from the trunk of his car.

"What're you two talking about?" Sam smiled, leaning past Cas to place a kiss on Meg's lips.

"We were just discussing the possibility that Dean might be gay." Meg spoke so casually but Cas couldn't help letting out a nervous giggle. There was no reason to worry though, as Sam simply snickered.

"Yeah right, if Dean's gay, I'm a moose." Meg chuckled and looked up at Castiel, grinning as if she had just proven a point. 

"Right. Get out." Dean reappeared beside Cas, opening the car door so that Meg almost tumbled out since she had been leaning on it. "I gotta get this car up and you're too heavy." He smirked as she clambered out, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Fine by me," Meg snarled, slipping past him to stand beside Castiel. "I'll just hang with your boyfriend until you're done." Dean rolled his eyes and set to work on the car with Sam's help. "See, you don't have to tiptoe around them, just be blunt enough and they'll think you're joking. They're both as bad as each other." She laughed and slipped her hands into her pockets, nudging Cas with her elbow. "On a serious note though, I'm glad he's found someone. He might be a bitch but it's nice to see he's not alone or with some sleazy one-night stand." Cas nodded and started to wonder more about Dean's love life. Was it really so bad that just a week with someone was enough of a change that he was noticeably happier? 

"How many girlfriends has he had?" 

"Girlfriends? One. Random girls? I lost count." Meg frowned, watching the Winchesters working on the car together. "I was starting to think he'd end up alone, poor Sam is worried out of his mind that he'll turn into some old alcoholic in the back of a bar like their dad." 

"Their dad?" Cas tilted his head as he looked across at the woman beside him who was nodding her head, though she held her tongue and changed her nod to a shake. 

"I'd rather let Dean go into all that, I don't know how much he's told you about his family. I will say this though, if he ever brings up John, listen carefully and don't try to comfort him. Both of them are the same, they get... tense. I tried to comfort Sam and that's how we ended up spending $200 on re-plastering a hole in the wall the shape of his fist." She chuckled and shifted from one foot to the other. "They're complicated boys, but they're lovable." 

"You don't seem to be very loving towards Dean." Cas laughed, watching a rather exasperated Dean trying to explain to his brother what the problem was and how to fix it. "And he seems to hate you."

"He's protective of his brother. Seems to think I'm gonna hurt him some day and that scares him." Cas nodded to himself and they fell quiet for a while until Dean clambered out from beneath the car.

"All done. Now can you get her out of here before she corrupts poor Cas?" Dean grunted, a little taken aback by the curious gaze Meg held in her eyes that told him she knew something. He looked from Meg, to Cas, then back again with a suspicious glint in his eyes. "What...?"

"Don't worry, I won't tell until you do." She smirked and Dean was left puzzled as she slipped past him to get back into the car. 

"What was that all about?" Dean turned to Cas who was rather unsure of what to say. Thankfully, Dean was quickly distracted by Sam who came over to thank him again for fixing the car. "No problem, and next time call me earlier instead of leaving it for a God damn week." With a hasty goodbye and another cryptic smile from Meg, the group were split into two again, leaving Cas and Dean alone together once more.


	12. Chapter 12

Back upstairs in the apartment, Cas stood at the bathroom door while Dean threw his t-shirt aside and started filling the sink with warm, soapy water. 

"So, Meg seems nice." Cas chuckled, folding his arms as he leaned against the door frame.

"Pfft. As nice as a rat." Dean growled, sitting on the edge of the bath while he waited for the sink to fill. "She's fine at first but then she gets under your skin and she's horrid."

"She thinks a lot of you y'know." Cas smiled, seeing the disbelief on Dean's face. "She figured you out pretty much instantly and had me pegged the minute you told her I was none of her business. She was telling me that she's glad you're not on your own and having one night stands anymore." Dean paled, his face almost as white as the porcelain sink which was now almost overflowing. Cas gestured to it to remind him to stop the tap, then continued. "She said not to worry, she won't tell Sam until you decide to. Apparently you're a jerk but it's your business, not hers." He shrugged and Dean seemed to relax a little, though he was still on edge.

"Wow... so Meg knows, huh?" He shook his head and stood up to wash his hands in the sink. "So much for keeping it between just us. At least she won't tell Sammy though, I'm not so sure how he'll react." Dean fell quiet and paused, leaning against the sink as he lowered his head. Cas frowned and stepped forwards, wrapping his arms around Dean's waist and resting his head against his back.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be thrilled you felt comfortable enough to tell him. At least the person you've got to tell isn't a catholic nun like I had." He snickered, trying to lighten the mood and smiled when it seemed to work, feeling Dean's shoulders tremble as he laughed. 

"Yeah, I guess..." he turned around though Cas refused to let go, so now his head could rest against Dean's chest. "Uh, I need to grab a towel." Dean laughed, chewing his lip when he still refused to let go. Shrugging in defeat, he smirked and wrapped his dripping wet arms around Castiel's neck, much to Cas's displeasure.

"Hey!" Cas quickly let go and shuffled backwards, laughing as he wiped his neck. "That's not fair." Dean shrugged his shoulders and pursed his lips, flicking his fingers so that water sprayed at the giggling Castiel. 

"You didn't let go, I needed a way of drying my arms." Dean chuckled, grabbing a towel from the wrack. While he was distracted, Cas slipped around him and dipped his hand in the water, flicking it at the back of Dean's head. 

"There, now we're even." He beamed, looking rather smug. Pride soon turned to regret though as Dean slowly turned around, dropping the towel to the ground.

"Oh, really...?" He raised a brow and Cas instantly knew this had turned into war. Dean leapt forwards and tried to grab Cas, who narrowly avoided him by swiftly sliding to the side and slipping past him. He ran out of the bathroom and into the living room where Dean followed him, chasing him to the kitchen and almost catching him again but too late as Cas clambered over the bar and back to the living room. Dean tried to follow again, but wasn't quite as nimble as Cas and managed to get himself stuck half-way over. "Hey! Come back, I need a hand!" Castiel laughed as he turned in the hallway to look back, though his lack of concentration on his footing and his inexperience on hardwood floor meant he slipped as he spun, falling backwards with a thump!

"Ooft!" He coughed, landing flat on his back. "Parley, Dean! Parley..." He giggled, though was rather surprised when Dean suddenly appeared above him with concern on his face. 

"You okay?" It was clear Dean was worried, though Castiel was unsure why, he'd only slipped. Cas gasped dramatically and clutched at his chest. 

"No! Alas, I think I may be dying..." Dean was visibly relieved seeing Cas seemed to be okay and smiled, then joined in and gasped too, laying down on top of him and pressing his ear against his chest.

"Hmm... yep, your heart has stopped. You're dying!" He sat up, now on his hands and knees above Castiel who had closed his eyes and was pretending to be dead. Dean paused, tilting his head slightly as he looked down at the guy beneath him. Although they were playing, he couldn't help but notice how peaceful Cas looked. That stubbled chin which was starting to grow out since he hadn't shaved today, that tufted hair that stuck out at all angles since he hadn't combed it yet, those perfectly formed lips... 

One eye opened slowly to peer up at Dean as though checking he were still there, a shimmer of blue peering through dark lashes before it disappeared again. Dean smiled to himself and then leaned down, kissing Castiel gently at first, though it soon deepened. It wasn't long before they were fully making out in the middle of the hallway on the floor, Cas wrapping his arms around Dean's neck and Dean slipping his arms beneath the small of Cas's back, feeling a pair of legs lifting around his waist. 

"Dean..." Cas groaned, feeling the lips part from his own and begin a trail down along his jaw. His hand slid up to nest amongst the short hair that was halfway between blond and brown, tilting his head back with a gentle thud as it touched down to the floor. Dean continued his trail of kisses along Castiel's neck, nibbling and biting at the skin here and there. He left several dark red marks by sucking on the skin, though was careful not to suck too hard so they would fade before Monday. Wouldn't be very professional if Castiel turned up for work covered in hickeys. Then again...

Dean slid his hands beneath Castiel's shirt, pulling it up and over his head. He tossed it aside and glanced at Cas who was starting to look nervous, then picked up where he'd left off. His lips slid along his collar bone, nipping at the sensitive skin lightly which brought a soft whimper from Castiel's lips.

"Dean..." Cas grunted, his hands gripping at Dean's shoulders. "Not too far..." Dean nodded, grabbing hold of the clinging hands and pinning them by the wrists at his sides. 

"Not too far." He agreed, before his lips once again consumed the soft skin beneath him, gliding down his chest to his abdomen. He lingered before delving to the waistline of his jeans, gentle kisses following the limit that was set by the denim. 

"Oh God..." Cas mumbled, his back arching as he felt the warmth of Dean's tongue along the sensitive skin just below his hip bone. "Not there... Dean please..." He whimpered, squirming beneath the grinning lips that nipped and sucked, exploring the skin and lingering over the strange tattoo there. Cas let out a moan and quickly bit down on his lower lip in an attempt to hide another, trying to wriggle away from the unforgiving torture that continued at his waist. Finally, Dean reluctantly stopped and sat up, pulling Cas with him so that he knelt between the poor guys legs. 

"Sensitive there?" Dean smirked, tilting his head. 

"Extremely..."

"How on Earth did you manage to get a tattoo there, of all places, if it's that sensitive?" Dean laughed, leaning down to look at the ink across his abdomen.

"There's a difference between a needle and your tongue." Cas smirked, shoving Dean aside so that he could stand up. He grabbed his shirt and shoved it back on then looked down at Dean who was staring at his abdomen. "What?"

"What does the tattoo mean?" 

"This?" Cas lifted his shirt to once again reveal the strange lettering. "It's an old language called Enochian, it's a sort of protection charm thing. I thought it looked pretty cool." Dean shuffled over on his knees and placed his hands on Castiel's waist, pulling him close so that he could place a gentle kiss against the tattoo. 

"Well you don't need a protection charm anymore," he muttered, turning his gaze up to look at Cas. "You've got me now." Dean smirked, knowing how cheesy his line had been.

"Shut up." Cas snorted, shoving Dean's head away and turning to walk to the living room. 

"I hate to see you leave, but I LOVE TO WATCH YOU WALK AWAY!" Dean yelled down the hall, bursting out laughing as Cas started to sway his hips while he walked. "Such a goof." He smiled to himself, clambering up to his feet and following him. "So what're your plans for today?" 

"I'm not sure," Cas shrugged, sitting down on the couch. "I should really head off soon though, I have to do some shopping, get my lesson plans ready for organizing tomorrow and my place needs tidying, I've got people coming over tomorrow." Dean nodded and sat down beside Castiel, pulling him over so that his head rested in his lap, where he then began to run his fingers through his dark hair.

"Oh," he coudn't hide the disappointment in his voice, but he understood. Cas did have a life after all, he was only here because Dean had made him stay over. That realization made him feel rather guilty. "Sorry, have I screwed up your plans?" Cas laughed and shook his head, settling down and nuzzling against Dean's stomach.

"Not at all, you improved my weekend by far." He smiled and reached his hand across to interlock his fingers with Dean's. "I'd like to do this again some time, maybe make it a regular thing?" 

"Sounds good to me." Dean nodded, brushing his thumb against Castiel's cheek lightly. "You need a shave." He frowned slightly, stroking the short stubble that had grown across Cas's chin. 

"Thanks for the bluntness there, Dean." Cas snorted, rubbing his hand over his chin. "Yeah, I guess I do... Well if we're making this a regular thing, maybe next time I'll make sure to bring my razor so you won't have to suffer the stubble." Dean laughed and shrugged, gesturing over to the bathroom.

"You're welcome to use mine..." He smirked and stroked the stubble once again, soft fingers sliding along the strong, rough jaw. Cas considered this for a moment and then nodded, though before he sat up to go shave, he raised his eyebrows in uncertainty and tilted his head.

"Are you sure you're okay with me using it?" He chewed his lip and Dean paused for a moment, admiring the adorable face that was peering up at him. He gave a simple nod and then playfully shoved Cas off his lap to make sure he didn't linger to ask again, watching him giggle and walk away. 

Dean sat by himself for a moment, sprawled across the couch, un-moving since Cas left. He couldn't help but notice how quickly everything was moving. A week ago he'd been thinking about what his next one-night stand might consist of, whether she'd be blonde and tall or brunette and short, if she'd have big breasts or a chunky rear or dainty curves. Now... now he was infatuated with a guy. Not just any guy, but a guy he'd known for what, 6 days? This wasn't like him at all. And yet, when he pictured Castiel, with those bright blue eyes that crinkled when he smiled, he could feel it. That deep longing in his chest, the butterflies in his stomach, the flush across his cheeks. This was more than just an infatuation, he'd never felt like this before. Especially so soon. No, it had to be just because it was different. He'd never been with a guy before, maybe this was what it felt like? He rubbed his hand across his face and took a deep breath, turning his gaze over to the hallway.

If he listened carefully, he could hear the water running while Cas shaved. Closing his eyes, Dean tried to picture him sliding the razer across his cheek, over his chin, along his jaw, down his neck... over those hickeys... He swallowed hard, trying to clear the lump that had grown in his throat. Who was he kidding? This wasn't because Castiel was a guy. This wasn't because it was different. There was something deeper here and it was killing him not knowing if Cas felt it too. Was it too soon to be so serious? He didn't know, he'd never really been this sort of serious before, the only serious relationship he'd had was one where the girl did the serious talking and he just sort of... went along with it. Would that be how Cas saw it? Going along with it?


	13. Chapter 13

By the time Cas finished and came back to the living room, Dean was deep in thought, his face pale while he considered what might happen if he tried to tell Cas his feelings but was denied.

"Something wrong?" Cas frowned, sitting down beside him and sliding an arm around his waist. "You look worried." He reached up to run his fingers through the soft brown hair, providing a gentle comfort for Dean as he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"No, I'm just thinking." 

"About what?"

"Doesn't matter." Dean rubbed his hand over his chin and allowed his eyes to open, finally tearing them aside to look at Cas. Clean shaven and his face still a little damp, Cas was positively irresistible, that smooth skin now begging to be touched. Dean had no choice but to give in to it, running his fingers along the soft jaw and watching the flicker of Castiel's lips as he smiled. "You were very thorough." Cas smirked and nodded, running his own hand along his chin. 

"I always am, I hate missing a bit." He snorted and his hand lingered over Dean's, taking hold of it and bringing it to his lips to place a faint kiss against his knuckles. "So what were you thinking about?" Dean's face flushed and he seemed unsure of himself, his brow furrowing and his hand falling to his lap. Well, if he didn't say it now, he probably never would...

"Cas..." He began, bringing himself to look up at him only to see him staring back with intense curiosity. "I... I was thinking. About us." He couldn't hold his gaze any longer and his eyes dropped to his hands where he fiddled with a piece of loose thread from his jeans. "About how I feel about... this." He gestured back and forth between them with his hand before returning to the thread. "I've never... I just don't know how to..." He laughed nervously and shook his head, clearly frustrated that he couldn't get his words out. He clenched his jaw and looked around the room, hoping it would bring words to his lips, but to no avail. Finally his gaze landed on Cas once again and for a brief second, they simply stared at one another. They shared a look. There was a shine in Castiel's eyes that told Dean everything he needed to know, and likewise his own eyes shone with the words that wouldn't come to his lips. Cas drew in a sharp breath as realization hit him, his eyes widening and his cheeks turning bright pink.

"Dean..." He muttered, his cheeks flaring up red as he studied Dean's face intently, waiting for that sentence to be finished desperately. 

"Awh Hell, Cas..." Dean turned and grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him close to clamp his lips down on that sweet pout, his kiss more rushed and needy than their previous make-out sessions. There was a deep urge, a lust that clawed at his insides, begging to be let out. He wanted him... needed him... He was going to have him. He pulled away for a brief moment, just long enough to whisper three little, important words. "I love you..." And then their kiss continued, Dean's hands grasping Castiel's waist and pulling him across the sofa before leaning forwards to force him to lay back, crawling over him so that he was on all fours above him. 

Cas tried to mumble against Dean's ever present lips, pushing him away gently for a moment so that he had a chance to speak. Dean stared down at him with so much wanting, so much desire that Castiel could hardly get his words out quick enough so they could continue. "I love you too..." Those words, that meaning... it sent chills down Dean's spine. Goosebumps rippled across his skin and his deep green eyes widened as his breath grew heavy. Before he could express his joy, Cas had pulled him down to resume their kissing, both tilting their heads slightly so that they could deepen the kiss. Castiel tasted so sweet, like a forbidden fruit that had been waiting for his tongue to explore, the overwhelming senses driving Dean crazy as he felt the guy beneath him, breathed in his comforting scent, listened to those soft whimpers of joy. It was too much. He couldn't stop here.

His hands explored down to Castiel's waist, slipping beneath his shirt and then gliding up over his abdomen, fingers brushing across his nipples that soon hardened beneath the warm touch as his hands slid over his chest, all the while pulling the shirt up too. Cas sat up slightly to allow Dean to pull the shirt off completely and toss it aside, then began to reach for Dean's shirt to do the same. Instead of returning his lips to Castiel's, he lowered his aim to his jaw, nibbling and tugging gently at the freshly shaven skin.

Down his kisses trailed until they reached Castiel's collarbone, where again he paused and nipped at the pink flesh. Cas reached his hands over Dean's shoulders to drag his nails across his back, lightly at first until Dean pushed up against him, letting out a low groan as he felt the scratching across his skin. 

"Cas..." Dean grunted, attacking his chest with hickeys and gentle bites. "I want you..." Cas could only respond with an agreeable whimper as Dean wrapped his lips around one of the hardened lumps of flesh that stood to attention on Castiel's chest, his tongue grazing over it lightly before he did the same to the other one. "I need it..." Dean pressed his hips downwards and Cas groaned, feeling his weight against the mound that was growing beneath his jeans. That sound was like music to his ears... so once again Dean pushed his hips forwards, grinding though only gently, much to Castiel's despair. 

"Please, Dean..." Cas pushed his hips upwards to feel more of the sweet pressure, shuddering at the ripple of pleasure that rose up to his chest. Dean smirked and his lips began to trail downwards, getting dangerously close to Cas's waistband. The mere thought of it drove Cas crazy but before he could make a move, Dean had lowered himself so that his lips were brushing against the Enochian tattoo, Castiel's sweet spot. "Oh God..." Cas groaned, soon finding his fingers curled amongst Dean's short hair as he clutched at whatever he could find. His hips involuntarily pushed upwards again as Dean's tongue snaked past his lips to glide along the sensitive skin, making his way along to the centre where he paused. 

Glancing up at Cas, he gave a lopsided smirk and continued down, pressing his lips firmly against the mound that was ever growing beneath the denim. The sounds that came from Castiel's lips... Dean wanted to hear them again but louder, stronger. Again he pressed his lips against the hidden erection, this time brushing along the length which caused Cas's breath to catch in his throat. 

"D-Dean..." Cas struggled, his hands gripping the cushions beneath him after Dean's head had moved out of comfortable reach. "Please, you're driving me crazy..." He groaned, but this only pushed Dean to continue even more. Hearing him beg... It sent shivers down his spine and the goosebumps across his skin returned. 

"You want it?" Dean moaned against the mound, his voice sending light vibrations through the fabric which caused a peculiar whimper to come from Castiel's lips as he nodded his head vigorously. "Hmm... I don't think you do." Dean shook his head, sliding his hand along Cas's thigh until his fingers could lightly stroll along his crotch, stroking a single finger along the length and rubbing the end ever so gently. 

"Shit, please Dean... I want it..." He could hear the desperation in his voice, the lust that practically screamed for Dean to give him the sweet release he was waiting for. Instead of giving him what he wanted just yet, Dean began to crawl back up, trailing kisses along his stomach, chest, neck and chin until they were once again face to face, noses lightly touching one another's. Cas whined in despair, squirming beneath him thinking Dean had changed his mind and wouldn't be giving in to his begging. Before he could say a word though, Dean's fingers were on the button of his jeans, popping it open so that he could slide his hand inside. 

Cas drew in a sharp breath, his eyes widening as he clutched at Dean's shirt tightly. Dean smirked down at him as his fingers began to curl around the throbbing member that was waiting in anticipation, his hand tightening slightly to pull a low groan from Castiel's lips, his eyes rolling upwards and his back arching. He began to stroke him slowly, though he was a little surprised as he felt Castiel's hands fumbling at his own jeans too. He lifted his hips to give him better access and let out a sweet moan, feeling that soft, warm hand wrap around him. Lowering his head, he placed his lips against Cas's neck, groaning against it as he sucked and nipped to leave a dark hickey. That one would definitely stay until work on Monday, but neither of them cared. They were too distracted, wrapped in one another's pleasure. 

It wasn't long before Castiel's groans grew louder, Dean's hand gripping tighter and moving faster to pull him closer and closer to the edge. Cas copied the speed and matched the rhythm so that he could bring Dean with him to the point of ecstasy, both breathing heavily against the others neck and both moaning deeply until finally... release. With a cry of pleasure, Cas emptied himself into Dean's hand, and likewise Dean finished into Castiel's as he arched his back and gasped to catch his breath. 

With a worn out smirk, Dean pulled his hand from Castiel's pants and slid his tongue along his palm to clean up the sticky, warm mess, keeping one eye on Cas who was positively captivated as he pulled his own hand out too. He slid his tongue along his fingers and couldn't help but giggle as they stared at one another, each tasting the other's mess. Grabbing the blanket he'd planned on using to sleep under last night, Dean wiped his hand across it then offered it to Cas who did the same, making a note to make sure he washed it later. He placed a gentle kiss against Castiel's lips, lingering for a brief moment in which they gazed upon one another, both with flushed cheeks and bright eyes. 

"You're very good at that." Cas muttered softly, lifting an arm to rest it beneath his head. "Are you sure you haven't been with a guy before?"

"Shut up..." Dean laughed, turning bright pink. "I just did what I know feels good for me, I kinda just guessed it would feel good for you too."

"Well it worked." Cas smirked, sliding his free hand around the back of Dean's head to pull him down for another kiss. Dean smiled against the embrace, nibbling on Castiel's lower lip and tugging lightly before letting go and cringing slightly.

"Oh, uh... you might want to get some make-up by the way." Cas frowned, completely baffled by the rather random comment which Dean quickly had to explain. "I got carried away, you've got a pretty dark hickey on your neck..." Cas burst out laughing, something which surprised Dean almost as much as his suggestion of makeup had surprised Cas himself. 

"I will wear it with pride." He giggled, sitting up so that he was propped up on his elbows. "Besides, if anyone asks, I'll tell them my hot boyfriend did it, revealing I'm gay so bluntly always shocks people into just walking away." 

Dean nodded though he was a little uncertain about his plan. If a student asked and that was his response, he'd be in even worse of a state than he already was with those kids... Then again, wasn't it supposedly 'cool' to be gay these days? Or bisexual? Or was it only cool amongst those weird kids that wore all the black eyeliner and hung out near the car park? He remembered something going around the school not too long ago when suddenly all of the kids turned out to be something other than straight, at the time he'd thought nothing of it. He rolled his shoulders and sat up off Cas so that he could get up too, rubbing his hand across his chin.

"Well we appear to have spoiled your freshly washed clothes, you'll have to strip off and borrow something of mine and I'll wash them." 

"You don't have to, I can just borrow some clothes and take these home, wash them there. I wouldn't want you to have to wash them twice in one day..." Cas snorted, looking around for his t-shirt. 

"Don't be stupid, it's my fault so I'm washing them." Dean smirked, spotting the t-shirt first and grabbing it quickly before Cas could. "Now go find something in my room to wear and bring those clothes back here." Cas raised a brow and then shrugged, getting up to make his way back to the bedroom. Dean watched him walk away and felt a strange sense of joy in his chest. Not just happy joy, but... fulfillment joy. Like he'd found the person he'd finally be happy spending forever with. 

And to think, they only met a week ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What will Sam say when he finds out about his brother? What will Dean do when Cas has to leave for another school? Will they stay together? Will the school kids find out their teachers are dating? Will Castiel help Dean conquer his nightmares? Will there be a sequel? Maybe, maybe not. You'll just have to wait and see... ;)


End file.
